Saturday, July 30, 2005

Bait and Switch?

What annoys me about the "What's the matter with Kansas?" Spiel is this assumption that Republicans are using "Bait and Switch" with Traditional Social Values being the bait and anti-progressive economic policy being the Switch. The same folks will turn around and advocate using Progressive Economic Policy to get folks to vote for anti-Traditional Social Values.

Labor needs to focus on bread and butter issues and not be diverted by secondary concerns. Many working people are "progressive traditionalists" - socially conservative and economic progressives. They may be pro-life and pro-gun but also experiencing deep anxieties about their economic plight. Can labor connect with them? The Moose certainly hopes so.

What about the Democratic Party? If the Democratic Party is only big enough for one hand clapping. Cheney in '08 isn't impossible.